In our student years, we organized crusades, door to door preachings, and the most complex, travelled deep into the country sides for the same purpose. These are some of the things that can determine the success of gospel missions targeting specific tribes, villages or generally, an African setting, regardless of all the planning and resource facilitation. African settlements in the rural areas have special governmental structures that are to an extent deeply spiritual.
1. INFORM THE ELDERS.
Find the village elders, traditional chiefs and local pastors of your mission. Some of these can even refuse to admit strangers in their villages and there is no need to insist when one is rejected. In many remote villages, their word is law. These are rulers of the people whe are to hear and may frustrate a mission even spiritually. Most African elders will agree when approached reasonably.
2. UNITY OF TEAM MEMBERS
People are human and it's important to lay down the ground rules before departure. There will not be personal confrontations during the time of the event. This rule should not be broken and should be enforced. Breaking it could be the weak point of the chain that crumbles what had been built on for months. The devil can work through a member of the group just as efficiently as any outsider.
3. DO NOT TAKE IN HITCH HIKING STRANGERS ON YOUR WAY TO THE MISSION.
We were given this rule by a missionary organization that specialised in the unreached people's category. The essence of it is to avoid spiritual attacks that may be hidden in a good thing but lead to crippling the whole mission.
We did not consider this warning very much on our way to a remote area. The sun was setting, and a girl waving us down was right there on the roadside. This was a semi arid, bandit ridden area. (Its also territory that is reknown for its potent witchcraft.) She must have been a teen. So we ignored the warnings and took her in. A short distance later, after we had dropped her off, our vehicle stopped and we were trapped in the middle of bandit territory, and it was dark.
People then really started praying and binding things.
If the mission is something you had spent time seriously praying for, the principalities of the area would be watching keenly and ready to resist you. Some things can be easier with more caution.
4. ALWAYS LEAVE TWO (2 ) INTERCESSORS BEHIND
During the mission, it's important to not break the chain of prayer. It could be two volunteers for each of those days that should not be distracted by your planned activities.
These villages are usually under some age old powerful demonic covenants and carrying your sound system and pitching it at the center of the village does not guarantee a successful open air preaching. All of them can stop working, or be so distracting that the message will not get out.
5.SET ASIDE TIME FOR PRAYER
It is the Spirit of God that eventually convicts. His absence and involvement would render the mission absolutely useless. Least to say, powerless. It could be a few hours a day. Pray for God's speed and execution of his will. Pray that he softens the people's hearts, and most importantly, make your mission prosper. Pray for spiritual power.
6. INVOLVE EVERY BODY
Send people two by Two into the villages, and all should speak. The power of God gets stronger with increased fellowship and involvement with people of similar mind. Do not be worried about someone being too young in salvation. What they know has kept them in Christ. It's all we need. And, it's the spirit of God, not the preacher, who convicts.
